I am interested in learning from you how you go about planning your RV trips. Do you chat with friends, forum members, etc. to find things or places that might be interesting. Do you visit blogs that discuss other people's trip experiences? What works for you (and what doesn't) when planning, routing and taking your trips?
Full disclosure here... my friend, neighbor and fellow RVer, Richard Hill, and I have created a website based planner called,
RV Trip Wizard. We had the Suwannee Valley Vagabonds (an FMCA group) offer their inputs and insights as to what works for them, but I am interested in getting a broader perspective on RV Trip planning.
We are interested in learning from you. Help us improve our efforts to create something that makes RV trip planning easier, more effective, and more fun. Tell us not only what you do, or don't do... but what do you wish was available to help you plan?
Share your thoughts, not only will you help educate us, I'll bet there are a lot of others that will be interested in what you have to say.
We decide which area we're going to and click Woodall's or ask here at the forum for recommendations.
Get mapquest.com and fiddle with various routes using info on where the RaceTrac, TA Travel Centers of America, Plaza 23, Gastrak, Pilot Flying J or similar gas stops are. To do that we sometimes have to open several tabs for different websites.
The one suggestion that I would make for trip planning: Provide a mapquest that pulls up those types of gas stops automatically so we can have it all in one window to plan our routes.
Reason: Those types of gas stops have much taller clearances over the gas pumps. Their prices aren't too shabby either. The GPS gadgies aren't very useful for finding these stops and not all of us can afford OnStar.
* This post was
edited 05/03/12 06:21am by magnusfide *
First law of science: don't spit into the wind.
Keep on rollin'!
Magnus
We've been camping for years, since about the 60s. We sometimes get the urge to go see a few things in a particular direction but I have always told people I have some nomad in me. I get on the road and go. I talk to anyone and everyone along the way. When I stop for the night I ask the RV park people where the best restaurant is located, who has the best wine. If nothing is working out I break out one of our steaks, or buy one at a local grocery and dig into our stash of wine. I just have never planned too far ahead. Seems very regimented to me.
In 1997, a week before Christmas, wife & I jumped into the PU and drove north from So CA, no RV, and no plans in mind except stop when we got tired or hungry. Ended up buying a ranch in NW WY.
Some people like regimented plans, nothing wrong with that, just seems like too much work at having fun for me.
A while back I received a magazine in the mail and it was called, "Tracks". It plans group RV trips throughout the US. I don't think I will pay and have them plan my trip, but I am using the info for planning my own trips. Planning one trip that will start near the Grand Canyon and head north through Yellowstone. The Tracks magazine noted places to see and specific things to do. FWIW
I'm a big planner. Just bought the latest upgrade of MSS&T, but as usual it's already outdated as it was done in 2010. Would be nicer to have online updates, but MS still makes money from software discs.
We like to plug in our nightly stop and watch our time & distance remaining, it helps to have a plan. It also prevents arguments! Don't keep track of our expenses anymore, but would if it were an option on a trip monitor.
I use many different sources to plan initial route. Including hard copy directories and multiple mobile apps to find CG's. Final best route, though we leave up to our GPS. Which so far, it hasn't given us too many problems towing. But when GPS funks out, we have used iPhone Map app to keep us on track in unfamiliar areas.
Would be nice to have an all-in-one program, but I need to read reviews first.
2009 DRV Mobile Suite 38TKSB3 (38RSSB3)....our custom home w/2011 upgrades
2010 Ford F450 KR CC 4x4......his office
Working Fulltimers since 3/2005
"Shoot for the Moon! Even if you miss it, you will land among the Stars."
For long multi stop trips to places we have not been before:
1. we decide on start and stop point.
2. we mapquest it and check the route in the Walmart Rand McNally Atlas to be sure it doesn't take us on roads we don't want to go on.
3. we decide on stops based on mapping
4. we look at woodalls.com and find campground near the stops
5. we look on www.rvparkreviews.com
6. we input the map and stops into the RVND5510 GPS
I have recommended to Rand McNally that their GPS needs the ability to download trip plans from their Rand McNally mapping site online.
I agree that there needs to be a link to the reviews site. We use it on almost every trip.
Lonny & Diane
2004 Country Coach Allure 33' "Big Blue"
Towing 2008 Chev Colorado 4x4
Semper Fi
Be nice to let us know this is a business venture!
A "Retired" Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste
Foreman Chuck USNR, USAF & USCGA
with
Headhoncho Suzie
BAR-BOB Ranch, San Barnard River Valley, Texas
2010 Damon Daybreak Classic 32'
1990 Jeep Wrangler
2011 Sea Eagle 385 FT kayak
2012 Vilano Tuono road bike
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